Best Vegetarian Restaurant

Annapurna's World Vegetarian Café

The Duke City loves the seasoned tofu scramble, the tempeh bacon, and all of the vegan and gluten-free options. Seriously? How do they make that GF burger bun? And can someone sell us a gallon of that garlic Vegenaise? And 20 pounds of the masala fries?

Best Mobile Food Truck

Good Food Eat Here

The name says it all. When you see this large, green-hued truck parked by the Journal Center, east of Nob Hill or by the Downtown Growers’ Market, you best pull over and tuck in. The concise menu of inspired vegetarian, vegan and raw foods is made with local produce and love you can taste.

2) Make My Lunch3) Yellow Taco Truck

Best Date Night

Zinc Wine Bar & Bistro

Practically everything about Zinc whispers romance. The extensive wine list, the dark and sultry ambience, the five-star food. If you want to get to know someone better, or reacquaint yourself with someone you love, Zinc sets the mood.

Best Bar Food

Two Fools Tavern

If you aren't among the folks who voted for Two Fool's, the excellent Irish tavern in Nob Hill, your attention needs to be directed to two places: the Scotch eggs and the boxty Reuben. The first is a hard-boiled egg covered in sausage, battered and then deep fried. The second is a traditional Reuben sandwich wrapped in a potato pancake. Pair either (or both) with a Guinness and you'll understand where our readers are coming from.

2) Gecko’s Bar and Tapas3) O'Niell's Pub

Best Fine Dining

Artichoke Café and Wine Bar

One of the toughest tests of any restaurant is how it fares with New Yorkers. They are a notoriously picky bunch, with the zenith of virtually every cuisine on the planet (except, it should be noted, Mexican and New Mexican) available a few subway stops away. But you know what? The food and service at Artichoke floors our NYC guests every time they visit us in Albuquerque. They can keep their fancy metropolis. We’ll keep our fancy Artichoke.

Most Committed to Local Ingredients

Flying Star Café

In case you're unclear on Flying Star Cafe's devotion to local ingredients, just take a gander at the giant map over the cash register. It points out all the places in state where your food came from. The meat, the cheese, the fresh produce: all sourced from right here in New Mexico whenever available.

2) Jennifer James 1013) The Grove Café and Market

Most Missed Restaurant

Casa Vieja

What a big impression the brains inside this old house made. The menu offered their creative takes on organic and sustainable ingredients. In the 2010 Alibi poll, Casa Vieja took home the coveted Best Restaurant prize. The wine list crowned owner Kate Gerwin Best Wine Steward. But alas, the walls of the 300-year-old adobe could no longer shelter this Corrales favorite. We can't wait to see what the Gerwins do next.

2) Chocolate Café3) Bumble Bee's Baja Grill

Best Downtown Restaurant

Slate Street Café

There’s a lot to relish about this place—upstairs and downstairs, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Slate Street accommodates Downtown’s many changing moods, be it a power business lunch, a lazy weekend brunch or a glass of wine with your pals after work.

Best Restaurant in the North Valley

Sophia's Place

6313 Fourth Street NW • 345-3935

We’re so glad the Alibi’s readers are handing this award over to Sophia’s Place. When chef and owner Dennis Apodaca ushered his culinary philosophy—local ingredients paired with soul-food comfort and a few surprises—into the North Valley, he gave the whole city a gift. Keep it up. We’ll keep eating.

2) Sadie's3) Tie: Casa de Benavidez, Mary & Tito's

Best Restaurant on the Westside

Mimmo’s Ristorante & Pizzeria

3301 Coors NW • 831-4191

For more than 26 years, Mimmo's has brought New York flare to Albuquerque. The pizza crust is made fresh, the Italian-American dishes are authentic and the Italian wines flow. The pollo al Marsala and any of the veal entrées are tops.

Best Restaurant in Rio Rancho

Turtle Mountain Brewing Co.

Not only is it the best restaurant in Rio Rancho, it’s also among the best breweries in New Mexico. Turtle Mountain’s well-rounded menu and rotation of inventive beers ensure the people of Rio Rancho are in a good mood.

2) O'Hare's Grille & Pub3) Tie: Banana Leaf, Namaste

Best Chef

Jennifer James of Jennifer James 101 (landslide)

Albuquerque’s best-known celebrity chef, the James Beard Award-nominated Jennifer James, is this year’s crème de la crème. The name of her restaurant suggests that it’s an entry-level introduction to her talents. If so, we anxiously await her 200-level offering.

Best Restaurant in Albuquerque

Jennifer James 101

When you call your restaurant Jennifer James 101, it better be good. And it is. The food and service are about as perfect as you can find in Albuquerque, yet you don’t feel pressured to act all high society when you dine there. If anything, an air of reverence for good food is expected—and earned.